# Screen Time Control vs Operant™

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Operant™ at none against Screen Time Control's 7. Operant™ also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). Screen Time Control's advantage is ratings volume (20 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 27.0). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Screen Time Control sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Operant™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Operant™ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Screen Time Control has 20 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Screen Time Control ships an update every 9 days, Operant™ every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Screen Time Control | Operant™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screen-time-control-spudy/id6760586395/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/operant/id6802081776/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 80 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 27.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Victor Cristobal Gonzalez Martin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885177608) | [Habits Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756597369) |

## What reviewers say

### Screen Time Control

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screen-time-control-spudy/id6760586395)

This app helps you break phone addiction by earning screen time through habit completion. Build streaks, use focus timers, and complete challenges to unlock your phone usage. It offers smart app blocking and on-device AI for photo verification.

**Highlights:** Earn screen time through habit completion, Smart app blocking with iOS Screen Time integration, Focus timers (Pomodoro, Deep Work), Habit tracking across 8 categories, Photo quests with on-device AI verification, Pushup challenges with pose detection, Live Activities and widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Exclusive 6-Month Offer | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |


### Operant™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/operant/id6802081776)

This app uses operant conditioning principles to help users build lasting habits. It employs escalating cues, small behaviors, and tangible consequences like app blocking and personalized reinforcement to encourage desired actions. Users can track behaviors, receive habit ideas, and compete with friends.

**Highlights:** Escalating cues for habit triggers, App blocking as a consequence, Personalized reinforcement on Apple Watch, On-device habit idea generation, Widgets for Home, Lock Screen, and Watch, Game Center leaderboards for friends

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Screen Time Control free?

Screen Time Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Operant™ free?

Operant™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Screen Time Control or Operant™?

Operant™ is rated higher. Screen Time Control averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Operant™ averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Screen Time Control or Operant™ have ads?

Neither Screen Time Control nor Operant™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Screen Time Control or Operant™?

Screen Time Control ships an update every 9 days, and Operant™ every 3 days. Most recently, Screen Time Control was updated on October 21, 2026 and Operant™ on October 10, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*